Vintgar Gorge and Radovljica

I thought I heard the man at the front desk of my pension tell me Vintgar Gorge was one and a half hours away but I misunderstood him because google is telling me a ten minute drive. Fortunately I can catch breakfast and still make it in time for the booked visit time. The parking lot they push you towards is a satellite lot which a bus that comes periodically and for this you must get there thirty minutes earlier than your entry time. Since I have one of the earliest appointments I decide to try for the lot closest to the gorge. Luckily it is still fairly empty for the day. Also at one point there is a sign on the road that lets you know how many spaces are open approximately in each lot. I figure with fifty I should be fine and I am.

I have a few minutes to wait for my entry time but it goes by fast. I try to let a tour group get ahead of me to avoid a crowd but there is no avoiding them since they are stopping for many photos. I have better luck passing by the groups. I am traveling at a swift pace through the gorge but I still think I am getting a great experience. At about a mile long the gorge is beautiful and formed by the Radovna river and Bohinj glacier.

The day is beautiful and accompanies the gorge visit perfectly.

There is a beautiful rainbow at the last waterfall of the trail.

The path through the gorge is one way. In order to get back to the parking lot I have to follow a trail back to the entrance that is about a 45 minute walk. It starts through a rural part of town and then ends up on a nature trail. There is an area at the exit where buses pick up groups but since I am by myself I hike back.

I pass by some creepy old houses and tunnels in the path. I also meet a very cute snail along the way.

I make it back to the parking lot. Since it is still early in the day I decide to drive to the nearby town of Radovljica, known for its gingerbread and well preserved medieval architecture. On the way I drive down very narrow roads.

Last hours in Lake Bled

My last hours in Bled are spent relaxing, avoiding the rain, and watching the rowers practice on the lake. I take it easy on this last day, leaving lots of activities left in case I wish to return another time.

I try the popular Bled cake, not unlike the cream cakes I’ve tried across the Balkans. This last time it is decent but believe it or not the best I’ve had so far is the one I bought two days ago at the grocery store. It was the best and only cream cake I’ve eaten with my bare hands (no forks or spoons in sight 😆).

Tomorrow I am driving through Soča Valley on the way to south Slovenia. Looking forward to the mountain views.

Lake Bled

I am leaving Ljubljana today and because I like to save money I decide to walk twenty minutes to the bus station to take the four euro bus to the airport instead of taking a taxi that would cost me almost fifty euros. One could call me cheap but I will blow one hundreds and fifty euros on a Michelin restaurant on occasion – in fact I will be visiting a Michelin restaurant when I return to Ljubljana in a week or so.

From the airport I pick up my rental car for the driving portion of Slovenia. I am leased a brand new car with no scratches or dents. I am not thrilled at the thought of having to be extra careful with this rental; so different from Split where we definitely rented someone’s personal car. Luckily the roads in Slovenia are pretty straight forward.

It takes me about fifty minutes or less to get to Lake Bled. Lake Bled is a beautiful area popular for weekend vacations about an hour from Ljubljana. People enjoy trails, water sports and relaxing in the surrounding town. I am too early to check in so I drive a bit to where my wine tasting will be later just to see how far it will be to walk. I stop briefly in a parking lot to google some things and I realize I don’t know how to turn my car off. The car is one of those fancy self starting type cars. After some YouTube videos and trial and error I finally figure it out.

There is no one to check me in yet so I walk to town to eat. Finally my room is ready when I return. I don’t have much time to rest before I need to go to a wine tasting in a couple hours. I am tired and don’t feel like going but since I’ve paid already I’ll force myself to attend. The wine tasting is at a hotel a thirty minute walk away from where I am currently staying.

I am glad I make it to the wine tasting. All of the wines are quite good (forgot to take picture of the bottles). We (other guests from Australia, UK and I) enjoy making fun of USA politics while trying new wines in a wine cellar.

After being successfully filled with wine and very good local cheeses I walk 30 minutes back to the B&B where I enjoy some of the wine I have leftover from my Ljubljana stash and take in the sounds of the birds and the cool air. It is a longer walk than I like into town but I am really enjoying the quiet and peacefulness of the area. I really like my porch views.

My energy levels are quite low lately so instead of driving to another lake in the morning I decide to enjoy things in town locally. I’m going to be closer to my pension and can bail out of the day at any moment if I feel like it.

I start the day with Bled castle on top of the iconic hill seen from around the lake. Hopefully a morning visit will let me avoid larger crowds. It is possible to drive up and park towards the top but everything I read says spots are limited and I don’t want to move my car and have to possibly deal with tight parking (brand new car, ugh). I walk thirty-five minutes to the top following a path behind a building. Approximately twenty minutes of the walk is uphill. The hike up isn’t too bad – I am sweating of course but on a hotter day I would probably be cursing the gods.

Bled castle is nice but it is far from being the most impressive castle I have seen during my travels. But what is really nice are the views that you get of Lake Bled below. It is peaceful up here looking down. I visit the museum and walk the walls a bit. Tour groups start arriving as I am leaving. Looks like I timed things correctly.

There is a small history museum inside the castle.

I ride a traditional pletna boat to Bled Island: Pletna boats are traditional wooden boats that are unique to Lake Bled. They take visitors to Bled Island, where you can visit the Church of the Assumption and ring the church bell for good luck.

I head down to the lake side to catch a boat to the island in the middle of Lake Bled (the island in the famous pictures). I see Tito’s former residence now hotel along with other hotels and homes along the water while a guy paddles us slowly out the island. Seems like a real strenuous job.

We only get 40 minutes on the island, I guess it is enough if you are too cheap to pay to visit the church and museum on the island. I get some gelato and walk around and enjoy the views. Nothing life changing here but a nice place to visit for 40 minutes.

After we paddle back I have my eyes on this restaurant for a late lunch but it closes at three so walk swiftly in that direction while admiring the lake from the shore.

I once more order a very rich and heavy truffle pasta. The pasta good but that with the olive oil and bread accompanying has me very full. I feel like I could sleep at this table or at least grab some grass by the water and pass out.

No matter which direction I go I am still at least forty-five minutes from my pension by foot. I make the decision to continue walking the rest of the six kilometer trail around the lake, ignoring my fullness and ignoring my tiredness. I am glad I do because there are so many more nice scenic views around the lake. I now understand how important rowing is to this town (and this country for that matter). There is a large rowing center set up at one point in the lake where competitive rowers come to row. I notice on the schedule there will be rowing here early evenings this week. Perhaps I can come back and watch another day. I did row one year in high school but I have a feeling this rowing is at a completely different level.

I complete the loop around the lake and on the way out of town I finally peek into the large church in town. It has an interesting chandelier and even more interesting artwork on the walls. One of the paintings that is supposed to represent a famous verse looks like a lion giving a guy cpr.

I have a timed reservation tomorrow for the nearby gorge. More on that later.

Wahiba Sands

Our first stop this morning is to see how dhow (wooden boats) are made. At this dhow facility we visit they have been making dhow for many generations. None of the boat plans are written down and they are just passed down orally from generation to generation. This is so no secrets are leaked to possible competitors. As a result that one man is really busy here guiding all the simultaneous construction efforts. Each boat is commissioned and can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years depending on the size. We are able to climb into a pretty large boat still under construction.

Today is also a special holiday for kids and they have the day off from school. We see kids go door to door, or person to person, and collect money or treats or whatever a person wants to give. The child will wear traditional dress or sometimes even pajamas (they make it fun). The closet thing I can relate it to in the USA is our Halloween.

Some kids celebrating at the souq (faces blurred for privacy)

We visit another souq where our guide tells us about traditional clothing and how it differs by region.

We stop at an oasis of sorts where we can walk to a cave (I didn’t) and swim (I did). I had to wear shorts below my knees and a t-shirt over my suit for modesty even though many western tourists ignored this rule that is clearly posted in many places. One person in our tour group saw a man’s bare behind while he was changing in public instead of the provided rest rooms. What really irritates me beyond disrespecting the local culture is that in the past my conservative bathing suit would have been perfectly acceptable for swimming here but due to guests abusing the rules with their barely there bikinis they have ruined it for us all. Some people are really crappy visitors. No one is asking you to convert to any religion, just have an ounce of respect for the culture of the country you are visiting.

After a quick stop to lower tire pressure our SUVs travel out into the desert for a bumpy ride; Our tour guide forcing some thrills by driving along the hillsides. We arrive at our desert camp which is actually pretty much a hotel. Our rooms have a tent like top but that is where similarities end. We have AC and we have a shower. We don’t have WiFi or cell service in our rooms but that is about all of the inconveniences (cell service available in lobby of hotel).

We drive off to watch the sunset and have a strenuous walk up a sand dune to get a better view. We watch the sun set and all the magic orange colors appear. As soon as the sun sets a sand wind develops and re-adjusts the landscape again. Soon our footprints will disappear and there will be no proof that we were actually here.

We eat dinner under the stars while we talk about everything from politics to travel. There is again no alcohol at this hotel (alcohol is rare in Oman in most parts) but it would be nice to sip on a fruit cocktail while we sit around the fire pit later and watch one of our fellow tour goers try to learn how to dance from a local. I call it an early night because I am still sleep deprived from the turtles. Some have an early morning because they plan a camel ride, I just plan a long night’s sleep.

Spain: Into the gorge of Ronda

I don’t have much sightseeing planned in Ronda but one thing on my agenda is to hike down to an old mine to get a view of the gorge from down below. The access to this is through La Casa del Rey Moro. But first breakfast.

I’m taking many stairs today so the goal is make sure I have a large enough breakfast to hold me over a few hours. In addition, I have a fancy dinner scheduled this evening; I want to skip lunch so I have the appetite to enjoy all the courses tonight. More on that later.

Not many things open early in this town but I do find a restaurant a nearby that serves breakfast early enough. The breakfast is perfect. I order coffee and one of the biggest dishes on the menu. I am excited when plates of things are brought out to me. Many Spanish breakfasts consist of toasted bread with a spread on it such as crushed tomatoes. This morning I am given a number of choices to spread all over my toast: crushed tomatoes, olive oil, butter, jam, sobrasada pate (ground pork sausage, paprika and spices), zurrapa de lomo (another pork pate), and zurrapa de hígado (liver pate). I had fun making all kinds of combinations with all the toppings. The only one I didn’t care for is the liver pate but I am not a fan of liver normally. My order also includes a side of eggs and ham. In retrospect I didn’t really need the eggs and ham since the toast is more than enough. I am now well nourished for my day.

I head over to La Casa del Rey Moro to check out the water mine. La Casa del Rey Moro is palace is from the Nasrid period that has never actually housed a moorish king (the translation of Rey Moro). The appeal of this property is its gardens and water mine. Currently you can not visit the house but you can take about 300 steps down to the gorge below to see the remnants of a water mine and the clear water below.

I pass the gardens and head directly to the mine. I am expecting it to be busy because it is one of the few things to do in town but surprisingly I only see a couple people attempting the stairs. I head down the wet, cavernous stone staircase. I should have downloaded the audio guide in advance because there is no WIFI available. I feel like I am missing out on some important commentary on the way down. (Note: I am always forgetting to pre-download audio guides this trip).

With things like these I always get a set of stairs that are very tall which are always challenging for my short legs, this place was no exception.

I reach the bottom and get a great view of the water. It is very clear. I have the urge to jump in and swim. There is no sign prohibiting it nor is there any security or persons around to see me, but I don’t attempt it. Perhaps on a warmer day I might have taken the chance.

I stay a while and observe the birds flying above. I am by myself for at least 20 minutes, probably more. Another couple comes down the stairs onto the deck area, I chat with them a bit then start my ascent, giving them the same privacy I was given.

I stop a couple stories up to what looks like a storage area that might have been used during battle times.

I return to the top and explore the gardens and the view from the gardens.

There is an adorable peacock chick in the garden. I watch it carefully following its mother around.

After my visit I head towards the Baños Árabes or arab baths. It isn’t too far from here.

Baños Árabes Yacimiento Arqueológico is positioned at the beginning one of the old town entrances. During the days of Muslim rule a person had to enter the baths in order to enter the town. I watch a movie that describes how the baths work and how steam is used instead of warm pools. There is also a garden outside that is recreated as it would have been in the past for aid in the purification of the body and the soul.

I continue my day by following around the edge of town to look at the muralles or old stone walls. There are beautiful patches of wildflowers along the sides of the city.

I circle around to the south end of Ronda. A bride and groom pass me of the road in an old timey car.

There are a couple more things I can see in town but I done with sightseeing for the day. I find an outdoor cafe and have a beer.

Soon I’ll be heading to my fancy dinner. More on that later.

Cartagena: Pink Sea of Galerazamba

Today we have booked a private car to take us the see the famous Pink Sea of Galerazamba and Totumo mud volcano.

The pink sea is an hour northeast of Cartagena on the coast.

This man-made salt lake is a mine that is run by the small town of Galerazamba. The bright pink color is caused by microbes which create pigmented protein to absorb the sun’s energy.

The Pink Sea is not always bright pink but we get extremely lucky since it is as pink as it can be. The best time to visit is December to April and we are visiting in February.

There is no swimming at the pink sea but we were allowed to walk out into the water and have some photos taken.

The whole thing felt essentially like a nice salt scrub.

We head next to the Totumo Mud Volcano.

Both the sea/salt mine and mud volcano are run by the nearby communities who are employed by and profit off the locations.

We choose not to “participate” in the mud volcano during our visit. Reviews said that you have to pay someone inside the mud mound who will then massage mud all over you. Once you exit the mud pit you walk down to a lake where ladies clean the mud off your body parts. We are not interested in having someone randomly put their hands all over us. Usually I am a “When in Rome” type of person but both M and I are both on the same page – maybe we’ll skip this one.

Instead we checked out the mud pit from below.

We walked down to the lake to witness the “washing”. Nope, not for us.

Once we arrive back to the tourist areas of Cartagena we decide it is a great time to check out the popular La Cevichería.

It is a long wait for a table but once inside it is worth it.

While everything we ordered is delicious it was this shrimp in curry that we craved after. It is an amazing dish.

M is fan of Liverpool and noticed a local bar was playing a game while we were town so we went down to The Clock Pub for a little while to watch. After the game the bar played 80’s pop videos.

Keeping up with the theme of fun we head down to a another lively pub. It is daytime so not rowdy but we did enjoy the décor of clothes hanging from the ceiling (including underwear). I do not recall the name of this pub but it was nice for a quick stop.